Finders Keepers Rec. 
M.Ashraf/ Nahid Akhtar : Dekha Jaye Ga /
Uf Yeh Beevlah (PK,1976-1977,re.2009)****°
Finders Keepers had surprised us before with the Lollywood sampler they gave us last year. With this release they proved that some of these original soundtracks themselves were also worth tracing. Especially “Dekha Jaye Ga” showed an incredible vivid energy and clever arrangements by composer M.Ashraf, who can be compared as the Pakistani equivalent to the Indian R.D.Burman who cooperated neatly with singer Asha Bhosle. Also M.ashraf had his favourite singers, like Babra (the female character) and Shadid (representing the male character), and instruments, like the moog synthesiser, electric Twang guitar, acoustic guitar, Punjabi’s exotic and colourful rhythms, accordion (mostly very much adapted in the background) and a few other occasional instruments and accents. It is with this optimal fundament that the music arrangements are at its most powerful. A second thing that makes this first soundtrack so rewarding are the vocal fantasies playing along with the music (not just an occasional rap, but also the sighing, wordless accents and rolling rhythmic directions are incredible to witness.
The first track immediately sets the tone with an abstract moog intro, a strange collage and wild atmosphere with all sorts of laughing sounds, before the song breaks loose, first as a sort of rock’n roll fusion with an entertaining Batman-sort of effect and female & male voice coming forward, and more playful haha background voices, all very well arranged with the instruments I named before. The incredible almost real life energy and tension and vivid communication between the instruments might have been was due to the fact that there was some true romance tension between the actress and the composer. A few tracks from this soundtrack will be recognised by those who know the Lollywood sampler, like the great English song which was used as a reference title for the compilation album, “Sound Of Wonder”. After this highly creative soundtrack, “Uf Yeh Beevian” is less inventive with arrangements, but is arranged with a great overall comparable balance letting the songs dominate, and have a bit of orchestration to it, and more of the exotic percussion, less solos, still an extremely enjoyable score. The last track however still comes as a surprise, a more Middle Eastern sounding instrumental based upon acoustic guitar, electric bass, and moog.
It is a shame to hear that these albums and films were the last of a generation, because after a democratically elected government of an extreme Islamic nature, took care that the streets with discotheques, drink halls and cinemas were closed or extremely restricted. -You know that not any of the Islamists respect any kind of independent truthful expression of life’s enjoyment, just as they also don’t understand the real purposes and fundaments of humour as a way to deal with the absurdity of the extreme. Pakistan and its streets were soon going to look different. Movies like this are now memories of a lost, vivid era from which we can still sense its creative and joyful energy.
